This Old Tree
Old trees are awe inspiring links to the past that fire our imagination. What are their stories? Seasoned arborist and amateur historian Doug Still interviews local experts, historians, and regular folks to celebrate the myths and uncover the real tales. If you're a tree lover, join in to look "beyond the plaque" at heritage trees and the human stories behind them. Monthly.
This Old Tree
The Autograph Tree
A stunning copper beech tree in Ireland’s County Galway attracts tourists from around the world. Lady Gregory was its owner, and she drew legendary writers of her day to her house and garden at Coole Park - William Butler Yeats, George Bernard Shaw, and others. If they were lucky, they were allowed to etch their names into the bark of what’s now known as the Autograph Tree. Learn the full story steeped in Irish literary history.
Guests
Jenni McGuire
Head Guide, Coole Park Nature Reserve
Gort, County Galway, Ireland
Margaux Pierrel
Conservation Ranger, Coole Park Nature Reserve
Gort, County Galway, Ireland
Dr. James Pethica
Senior Lecturer in English and Theatre, Williams College
Williamstown, MA, USA
Dr. Anna Pilz
Independent Researcher
Academic Developer & Trainer, University of Edinburgh
Edinburgh, Scotland
Consulting Editor
David Still, II
Music
"Cailleach An Airgid" - traditional
Arranged by Katharina Baker
Performed by Sonic Strings from Coole Music & Arts in Gort, County Galway
Soloist - Lilian Owens
See Sonic Strings performing the piece on Inis Mór on YouTube here
Theme Music
Diccon Lee, www.deeleetree.com
Artwork
Dahn Hiuni, www.dahnhiuni.com/home
Website
thisoldtree.show
Transcripts available.
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We want to hear about the favorite tree in your life! To submit a ~3 or 4 minute audio story for consideration for an upcoming episode of "Tree Story Shorts" on This Old Tree, record the story on your phone’s voice memo app and email to:
doug@thisoldtree.net
This episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators.
litartsri.org
